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Computer does not Boot when PCI-6509 is installed.

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We have an Advantech "shoebox" system (system specifications are listed below) and are trying to install a National Instruments PCI-6509 digital I/O card. Once we install the digital I/O card the computer will not boot. The computer does not even perform a POST. We know that the digital I/O card is functional because we ran the same card on several different machines. We have also tried the card on other Advantech computers with the same make and model with no success. What do we need to do to get the card to work on the Advantech computer?

Advantech computer scpecifitaions:
Pentium 4 with 256MB DDR memory, Windows 2000, passive backplane

Thank you for your help,
Tim Elsenbroich
Software Engineer
Electronic Systems of Wisconsin, Inc.
Phone: 262-554-1211
FAX: 262-554-1797
E-mail: telsenbroich@eswtesters.com
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The fact that you have been able to use the board on other computers suggests that there is nothing wrong with the board, but something funny going on with the Advantech machine. There are no special tricks to be able to use the board in different types of computers. Have you been able to use any other PCI cards in that machine? Does the machine have PCI or PCI-X slots? Is the bus in the Advantech machine PCI compliant?

-Alan A.
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Thank you for your response. Yes, we are currently using a NI PCI-6014, a PCI-DIO-96, and a modem in this computer - and they work just fine. The passive backplane on the Advantech computer is PCI compliant.
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Hi Tim,

The only other time I have seen this behavior is when the motherboard did not provide 3.3V power on the PCI connector. The 6509 depends on the 3.3 V rail, and without it may cause the machine to not boot. Look for the green LED at the top of the card (DS1). If it is not lit, you are not getting 3.3V power. I would be surprised, though, because I have only seen older (3 - 4 years old) motherboards that didn't supply 3.3V, and you mentioned that you have a P4 machine.
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Allen,
The green LED does not light on any machine that I load the PCI-6509 on (even the ones that it performs corectly on). I did find however, that the computer that does not boot when PCI-6509 is loaded, is using the AT connecter instead of the ATX connecter to power the passive backplane. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think the AT connector provides the 3.3V source only the 5v and 12v. Maybe that is were my problem is.

Thank you for your continued help.
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Tim,

You are correct that the AT power connector does not provide 3.3 V power, so it would be up to the motherboard or single-board computer to regulate one of the other power rails to that level and route it to the appropriate line. I suspect this is the problem; you may wish to check with Avantech to confirm.

It is curious curious that the LED does not light up even when the board is functioning. If you want to pursue this, you can check the voltage on the LED as well as on R1.
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Allen,
How do I go about checking the voltage on the LED and R1. Can I do this through NI software?
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The only way you might be able to do this through software would be with the MHDDK such that you can perform some Register Level Programming - but for one I don't know for sure if this is possible, and two, it definitely would take much more time and effort than it is worth.

What I suggest is to probe the LED with a DMM while it is receiving power from your computer. I did just this and I measured the expected voltage across the LED. Note, however, that the LED was not lighting up for me either. Chances are it may be burned out.

All in all, the behavior you are seeing sounds exactly like Allen H was saying, this motherboard does not supply the 3.3 V to the card.

Jared A
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Solution
Accepted by topic author telsenbroich
We hooked a spare ATX supply up to the backplane of the computer, the computer booted right up, and the PCI-6509 worked perfectly. I contacted the manufacturer of the computer and am awaiting pricing on getting a ATX suppply in our computers instead of the AT.

Thanks to all for your help.
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